Improving Education and Screening via an App or Website

  • MHSP Priority Area: Supporting Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Needs
  • Recommendation: Develop a mechanism for universal postpartum depression screenings and faster mental health and SUD* referrals to support new mothers, which can also improve access to care and resources for women experiencing postpartum depression and improve integrated care programs and expanded mental health and SUD services.
  • Actionable Strategies: Improving Education and Screening via an App or Website
  • Lead: Materna Phia Health
  • Lead Web Site: https://www.phiahealth.com
  • Progress: In Progress

Behavioral Health and SUD Actionable Strategies Plan

Phia Health was awarded $150,000 to support a statewide initiative to deploy a behavioral health platform that supports pregnant and postpartum individuals across Pennsylvania. The platform provides evidence-based perinatal mental health screenings, continuous risk detection, and rapid escalation to licensed clinicians and care coordinators. Phia partners with OB practices, health systems, employers, and Medicaid MCOs to close critical care gaps and support families through the most vulnerable period of their lives. The initial phase of the initiative will focus on select urban and rural counties, with plans to go statewide. The Phia Health platform provides evidence-based perinatal mental health screenings with rapid escalation to licensed clinicians and care coordinators when needed. This approach proactively identifies behavioral health risks and ensures connection to treatment.

Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports

  • MHSP Priority Area: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care
  • Recommendation: Increase utilization of non-medical supportive services that can support greater cultural competency in perinatal care and improve health outcomes, like community health workers, peer services, and doulas by working with providers and payors to encourage greater partnership with and referrals to non-medical providers.
  • Actionable Strategies: Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports
  • Lead: Franklin Pediatrics
  • Progress: In Progress

 

Access to High Quality Care Actionable Strategies Plan

Franklin Pediatrics, in Venango County, was awarded $150,000 to provide services to postpartum individuals at their child’s pediatrician visit. Venango county is a rural area where residents face challenges, along with many counties in northwest Pennsylvania, in accessing maternity care. Many postpartum individuals attend their infant’s pediatric visits, even when they do not have access to postpartum care. This uniquely positions a pediatrician’s office to fill gaps in postpartum care. With this funding Franklin Pediatrics will expand its services, including lactation supports, postpartum mental health and wellness circles, and social care navigation that includes screening and warm handoff to resources for food, housing, and Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports

  • MHSP Priority Area: Increasing Access to High-Quality Care
  • Recommendation: Increase utilization of non-medical supportive services that can support greater cultural competency in perinatal care and improve health outcomes, like community health workers, peer services, and doulas by working with providers and payors to encourage greater partnership with and referrals to non-medical providers.
  • Actionable Strategies: Improve Access to “Non-medical” supports
  • Lead: Fabric Health
  • Lead Web Site: https://www.panavigate.org/fabric-health--pittsburgh-pa--fabric-health/6005698683011072?postal=15228
  • Progress: In Progress

 

Access to High Quality Care Actionable Strategies Plan

Fabric Health was awarded $150,000 to address barriers to accessing and supporting prenatal and postpartum care. Fabric Health works with mothers and families at laundromats, turning a weekly chore into an opportunity to solve urgent needs. Their navigators provide pregnant and postpartum individuals with resources to address food insecurity, utility insecurity, access to transportation, and insurance coverage, among other pressing needs. The organization has a growing demand for their services, and this funding will help address this need with a focus on Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Both counties experience disparities in maternal health and have increasing rates of severe maternal morbidities.

Expanding the Role of Pharmacists in Maternity Care

  • MHSP Priority Area: Improving Rural Health and Maternity Care Deserts
  • Recommendation: Collaborate with state agencies and other partners supporting rural healthcare development to leverage existing groups, venues and resources around rural health to assess available resources, determine needs, and work to create collaborative efforts in counties and regions and across payors to address lack of maternal care.
  • Actionable Strategies: Expanding the Role of Pharmacists in Maternity Care
  • Lead: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, with Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network
  • Lead Web Site: https://cpesn.com/blog/ppcn-highmark-wholecare-launch-maternal-health-program
  • Progress: In Progress

 

Rural and Maternity Care Deserts Actionable Strategies Plan

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy was awarded $149,897 to expand access to maternal health services within pharmacies in rural counties and maternal health deserts. The School of Pharmacy provides program evaluation and implementation support for the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network (PPCN). PPCN is a statewide clinically integrated network of nearly 200 community pharmacies in 48 counties across Pennsylvania that provide enhanced patient care services. In May 2025, the PPCN launched a pharmacy-based maternal health program which provides pregnant and postpartum individuals with blood pressure screenings, safe medication guidance, social needs assessments, and prenatal nutrition advice. The program also connects them to additional services, including doulas, postpartum behavioral health support, diaper and milk banks, and home-visiting programs. These funds will expand the implementation support of the pharmacy-based maternal health program to an additional eight pharmacies serving counties with moderate, low, or no access to maternal healthcare access with a focus on Greene, Mercer, Venango, Clarion, and Clearfield counties.

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